Paul McGinley picks ‘under the radar’ player to win his third major at The Masters this week

Paul McGinley picks Xander Schauffele to win The Masters

Xander Schauffele has done everything but win in 2026. After his Baycurrent Classic victory to end last season, he was in contention at The Players and the Valspar Championship, which is among the reasons McGinley thinks he’ll win at Augusta this week. 

He said, “It’s all there. He’s my pick. All week long, I’ve been watching him. He’s under the radar. Nobody is talking about him. This guy’s finding form.

“You look at what he did last year. He had a poor season. He had an injury earlier in the year. He came off the boil; he wasn’t playing very well.

“Then, he turned up at the Ryder Cup, and he was the number one point scorer for the American team. He went on then and won in Japan and had a half-decent finish to the season.

“He’s come out this year, a little bit quiet to start out, but he’s now taken off in the last few weeks. His record around here is simply superb. He’s won two major championships before.

“Another guy, like Ludvig [Aberg], who had to learn how to win. There was a number of opportunities that slipped through his fingers. When he figured it out he went boom, boom, he won two majors in a row.

“Now, he’s got that validation in his own head. If he gets in a battle on the last nine on Sunday he knows he’s done it in major championships. Big psychologically from where he would have been before when he was in contention in the final round of The Masters.

“It’s all lined up. It’s trending for a really big week from Xander. And if he gets a sniff, he’ll do better than he would have done before because he’s got that validation of being a two-time major winner.”

If Schauffele does return to his major-winning form this week, then he’ll be a US Open away from completing the Career Grand Slam, the same as Scottie Scheffler.

Xander Schauffele names the key to winning The Masters

Augusta National is set to present a difficult test for all the players this week. The Georgia sun will make the course play firm and fast, as it prepares to show its teeth.

When asked how he plans to play the course this week, Schauffele says it’s all about the positioning on the greens. 

He said, “Yeah, I think speed on the greens is going to be crucial, as always, with them being firm and fast. Big accomplishment to keep three-putts off the card. I think that’s always a big goal here at Augusta. Then positioning.

“If you can really be disciplined, make sure your good shots are great but make sure your bad shots are in the correct spots, that’s how you need to play to be in contention on this property, and I think everyone knows that. The hard part is doing it.”

Patience will be key this week. Bogeys will be had, but the winner will be whoever can respond to them and stay mentally resilient.